Man on trial in New Haven slaying claims he stabbed victim 51 times in self defense

Watson admits he stabbed victim 52 times

Published 7:37 pm, Thursday, September 22, 2016

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Man on trial in New Haven slaying claims he stabbed victim 51 times in self defense

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NEW HAVEN >> Two prosecutors and a defense attorney Thursday clashed in Superior Court over whether defendant Semmion Watson acted in reasonable self-defense when he stabbed to death Anthony Stevenson in Watson’s apartment three years ago.

Watson, 49, admitted to police when he was questioned that he repeatedly stabbed Stevenson, 44, during an argument after Watson sold him some crack cocaine. But Watson said Stevenson came after him first with the knife, cutting him several times, before Watson wrested the knife away and began stabbing him back.

“A 213-pound man full of crack cocaine refuses to leave your home and he takes out a knife and stabs you,” defense attorney Max Simmons said in his closing argument. “Then all bets are off. A rational person would take every measure available to guarantee that no further harm will befall him.”

But Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Seth Garbarsky countered, “Stabbing him 52 times is not reasonable. This was simply a cold-blooded murder.”

Watson is charged with murder and sale of illegal drugs. The three-judge panel hearing the case Thursday dropped a third charge of tampering with physical evidence, saying the state had failed to prove Watson, at the time he threw down the knife on the Spring Street sidewalk and changed his clothes, believed an official proceeding and prosecution probably would occur.

After the judges heard the closing arguments Thursday afternoon, Alander announced the attorneys likely will hear the verdict next week.

New Haven State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin, the co-prosecutor in the two-day trial, said as he opposed the acquittal motion on the murder charge: “There is sufficient evidence to support that he intentionally took this man’s life. The degree of force used was not reasonable.”

Garbarsky hammered away at this theme in his argument. He cited “the severity, the brutality of force used against Mr. Stevenson.” He noted Watson sustained “relatively minor” injuries to his hands and knee while Stevenson’s wounds included eight punctures to his lungs.

“Even if he is justified in his initial self-defense claim,” Garbarsky said, “it ends as soon as he gets that knife from Mr. Stevenson’s hand.”

Garbarsky quoted Watson telling police in his videotaped statement that he stabbed Stevenson once “to get him off me.” Garbarsky asked: “If he’s gotten him off of him, why stab him 51 more times?”

Citing medical testimony, Garbarsky said, “Mr. Stevenson was face down, on the ground, and a knife-wielding attacker was plunging down over and over again on his body.”

And Garbarsky said “the most chilling” part of the medical testimony was Stevenson “could have lived if he had gotten medical attention. All the defendant had to do was pick up the phone. He left a dying man to expire in his (Watson’s) own kitchen in a pool of blood.”

Garbarsky said Stevenson “dragged himself around that apartment until he died.” Garbarsky said medical evidence shows he died about 90 minutes after the stabbing.

The New Haven Public Service Answering Point service received a 911 call at 10:22 Oct. 5, 2013, from a man who said he had been stabbed. But he could not provide an exact address or other information about his location. Five officers searched the area but Stevenson’s body was not found until the following morning.

Simmons told the judges in his argument: “No matter what you think of Mr. Watson, none of the evidence proves beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to kill.”

As for the number and severity of the wounds, Simmons said, “Are you going to stop and see how big the wounds are and how many there are?”

Simmons asserted Watson was attacked in his own home and believed his life was at risk. “Any rational person will fight and fight and fight and stab and stab. It would be irrational not to do so.”

Simmons said that after the confrontation, Watson, “in a dazed state of confusion, stumbled out of the apartment, barefoot. His intent all along was to get out of the house.”

Simmons also noted Watson “cooperated without hesitation” with police requests and questions.

But Garbarsky played a portion of the videotaped statement in which he said of Watson, “He laughs as he talks about the number of stab wounds. He says, ‘Damn! About 50 times!’”

Watson, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail, declined to testify on his own behalf.

Contact Randall Beach at 203-680-9345.

Tihs story has been updated since it was first posted to make clear the number of stab wounds the victim suffered.